Life As She Knew It
by hanfan26
Summary: Casey Novak, a young lawyer, and Elliot Stabler, a dedicated detective, work one of the biggest cases they have ever seen. After they arrest and convict two young men, the two go missing, leaving the entire SVU squad in a search for their friends.
1. Chapter 1

Monday, March 20

It was late, as Casey Novak approached her apartment building on the Upper East side of Manhattan. She was exhausted by the long day she had just finished in court, and now all she wanted to do was just go home and relax. It had been nearly four months since she had left Charlie, and she was just starting to get back on her feet. She fumbled through her purse looking for her keys, finally finding them on the very bottom. She reached for the doorknob, but a she heard a noise behind her. _It must be Olivia,_ she thought, _I'm always leaving things at the office. _The noise continued and she figured it would be her friend playing a trick on her, as they sometimes did after winning a big case.

"Olivia, stop messing with me. Really, it's not that funny." Casey said down the hall.

"Olivia, come on. Olivia?" Her voice trailed of when she heard no response.

She started around the corner to see who it was when a large, glove-covered hand came up to her face. Its large size completely covered her mouth, containing any attempts she made to scream. She thrashed around, kicking and punching, but he grabbed her arms and forced them painfully behind her head. The man threw her against the wall, and the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was dropping her purse and the horrible smile on his ugly face.

Tuesday, March 21

When Casey woke up, the first thing she noticed was how heavy she felt. She looked down at her body, but there were no restraints on her at all. She hazily rose from where she was lying on the cold, tile floor. She looked into the long mirror on the wall, taking notice of all of the differences of appearance. There was a bruise on her face from where she had fallen before passing out. Everything about her looked relatively similar. Her purse was gone, and so was her briefcase with her case file in it. Casey wondered if that was what he had been after. She noticed a dark, mahogany door and walked groggily towards it. She knew it would be locked, but she figured it was worth a shot. Of course, it was, and it felt like it was barred from the other side so it could not be busted open. Casey sank to the floor, losing hope of escape when her eyes caught sight of the tiny window on the wall opposite from her. She rose to look out the window, but what she saw filled her with horror. Casey no longer saw the crowded streets of NYC. No streets. No cars. No snow. No anything. Just the soft, repetitious crashing of the waves. She tried her best to look both ways, but all the young lawyer could see was miles and miles of open sand. Numbly, she sat on a small chair in the corner of the somewhat furnished room. The man who had captured her had been smart, taking everything from Casey's pockets too. So now she stayed still, wondering how she could possibly escape.

It had been a few hours, and nothing had stirred. Casey noticed how hungry she was becoming, but she ignored the feeling, knowing it would only make her more miserable. Her assailant had not returned all day, and she just wanted some type of clue as to her location. She eventually found herself pacing back and forth across the room, twisting her red hair through her fingers as she always did when she was thinking.

Suddenly, she heard a banging noise approaching the door. She heard grunts, several of them, and then the door flew open. Three men, two white and one black, came into the room, causing her to back up instinctively. Casey was standing against the wall when she recognized the same man she had seen in her apartment hallway drag in another body. She knew this person, who was in the same state she was in; unconscious and unresponsive. It was her best friend, Elliot Stabler.


	2. Chapter 2

***Author's Note*: Hey guys! So I got the first chapter out a while ago, sorry for the delay in writing the second one! I was busy with school stuff, so now that school is out I can focus on writing more! I absolutely love my reviewers! This is my first story, and I like having the encouragement to write more. I was not sure if anyone would like it. The first chapter was a little short, but I have lots more coming! :D**

**P.S. - Any grammar mess ups are mine, because I don't use a Beta reader. I don't like people telling me what to do, and I like my stories the way they are.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters mentioned, I only own a computer and a keyboard.**

Tuesday, March 21

Elliot Stabler had reached a place in his subconscious that he had been to before, he knew it well. He felt like he was floating. The feeling of euphoria flowed over him, and for once he could just relax in the stillness. There was a noise disturbing his beautiful silence. He could he it faintly echoing from somewhere he could not recognize. He tried to ignore it, he just wanted to feel like this forever, away from the stress of everyday life. The noise gradually got louder. It sounded so far away, and he tried to listen to it.

"Elliot! Elliot, can you hear me? Please wake up Elliot!" he could hear a voice in his ear, and he held on to it.

He finally became aware of himself, the pain in his head and body, and the full force of his weight came on him at once. Painfully, he slightly opened one of his eyes, to see a blurry figure kneeling over him.

"Elliot! Oh thank God you're awake!" the figure said.

The light from the room was too much for him to handle, but he slowly adjusted. He opened both of his eyes and tried to focus on the person with him.

"Elliot?" he realized the voice was that of his co-worker, Casey Novak.

"Ca-Casey?" he tried to mumble.

He could hear he breathe a sigh of relief and she started to cry. He had never seen her like this. Her face was bruising, and it looked like someone had hit her.

"What's going on? Where are we?" He sat up and asked her.

"It's..him..What am I going to do? How did he find me? He'll kill us both.." her voice was wondering and shaky.

"Casey, who? Who did this?"

"Charlie. He found me, El. He came back. He'll kill me! He was with the two men we convicted for kidnapping those children!" her eyes darted back and forth and she was shaking badly.

None of this made sense to Elliot. How in the world could Matthew Whitlock and Chris Radford have escaped from the holding cell at central booking? And how in the world could Charlie have found Casey? As far as Elliot knew, she had not tried to make any further contact with him since she had left.

"He did this. One of them, I don't know which one, came to my apartment. I came home from the office and I thought I heard Olivia in the hallway, but they covered my mouth...I couldn't scream..and then he hit me over the head and took my purse and briefcase." she explained, "Don't move, El! They must have shot you in the leg!" She looked down and saw all the blood coming from his legs.

She took off her overshirt that she had on under her dark blue trench coat, leaving her in just the undershirt she had on, and wrapped it around his leg, as she applied pressure. The bleeding slowed and she tied it tightly so it would stop completely. He felt lightheaded, mostly because of the blood he had lost, and partially from the fact that he had no idea where they were, and he couldn't save Casey this time.

Elliot laid back down on the floor, gently resting his head. He looked up at Casey, her once vibrant green eyes overcome with fear and pain. Her beautiful strawberry-blonde hair fell to the side of her face, covering the bruises. He shut his eyes, just for a minute, as he began to feel tears fall on his face.

He could feel the light touch of her lips on his before he slipped backed into unconciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Heyy! So how did you like the second chapter? Love it? Hate it? Tell me! I love every single one of my reviewers! Y'all just make my day! (Yes, I just said the word y'all.) Anywho, here is the third chapter of my story. I will try to update sooner, so you guys don't have to keep waiting in agony. ;)**

**Sorry that these are a little short, I am not good at writing in bulk, I get too tired to think of new and creative things. Also, my sister wanted me to tell you guys that part of the story line was her idea. (SketchKitten on YouTube, go check her out!) **

**All misspellings and grammar mess ups are mine, because I do not have a Beta reader. I like my little stories the way that I wrote them. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or the show. I only own a computer and a keyboard.**

Wednesday, March 22

It was one of the busiest days in the squadroom of the 1-6. Captain Cragen had been in the office nearly an hour before everyone else just to get the paperwork from last week up to date. When detectives Benson, Munch, and Tutola arrived, he put them to work immediately. Elliot never showed. He wasn't one to be late.

"Detective Benson! A minute in my office?" Captain Cragen called to the group of detectives about to go to interview a suspect. Olivia Benson heard her name and walked into the captain's office.

"Where's you're partner? I called his cell phone, but he didn't answer." he asked Olivia.

"I haven't seen him, he didn't say that he was calling in sick today. Wasn't today his day to appear in court? I thought I heard Casey say she needed him as a witness." she replied.

"I call McCoy, and see if Casey is in her office yet."

Wednesday, March 22

"DA's office, Jack McCoy."

"McCoy? This is Cragen from special victims. Is Casey in her office, or do you know if she is in court today?" Cragen asked him.

"She hasn't come yet, I thought she was over there. I can try to call her. I wonder though, why are you looking for Novak?"

"We thought that she was with one of my detectives, Elliot Stabler, who never showed up for work, and is not answering his phone. Detective Benson said that he may have been in court with Novak."

"Well, I will try to reach her and call you later."

Wednesday, March 22

"Any word yet, Cragen?" Olivia asked her captain.

"Not yet. Why don't you and Fin go and check his new apartment. Something is going on here, and I don't want the press or IAB finding out about it." he replied promptly.

"Fine, go have fun on a goose chase and leave me here to have all the fun filing paperwork." detective Munch said as Olivia and Fin walked out the door.

Olivia knocked on Elliot's door, but there was no reply. She looked at the doorknob, and it looked as if it had been forced off. She pressed on the door, and it slid open slowly. The apartment was a mess, everything was thrown about in the main room. There was a trail of blood that started near the kitchen and ended right before the door.

"Fin! Call Cragen and tell him we need crime scene unit down here right now!" Olivia shouted nervously at the detective.

Fin whipped out his phone and called the captain. The crime scene, ballistic, and blood spatter units were all in his apartment in less than a half hour.

Next, Fin and Olivia drove to the upper East side of Manhattan to Casey's apartment. They went up to her floor, and approached the door cautiously. Before they opened the door, though, they saw evidence that she had been injured also. There was blood on the wall, and they found a red hair in the carpet lining the halls. There was no sign of a disturbance in her apartment. Everything was neatly in its place. Once back to the precinct, they ran the DNA on the blood found on the floor of Elliot's apartment and the blood found on the wall of Casey's apartment. Both of the samples belonged to them, not there attacker's. The red hair was Casey's, and briefcase was found at the end of the hallway of the building, right by the stairs. It was completely empty, except for her business card, which was torn in half.

This left the detectives of the special victims unit deadlocked. There was no evidence to begin to find them, and they had no idea where to start.


	4. Chapter 4

***Author's Note* So I got some positive feedback on the story so far which is always good. I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long to put up! I have been in  
>Spain the past ten days, and had no access to a computer. PS If you have not been, you go because the scenery is stunning! Anyway, here is the fourth chapter and I hope you love it!<strong>

**(It felt really weird writing this, but it will all make sense eventually. Just go with it)**

**WARNING: I won't give it away, but bring your flashlight because there is some SERIOUS darkness ahead. But it's not what you expect. ;)**

**Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, I only own a computer and a computer, blah, blah, all rights go to Dick Wolf, blah, blah.**

Not too much time had passed since Elliot fell back into unconsciousness. Casey hated that she was practically alone, but she knew that he was hurt badly. They hadn't shot Casey, because it wasn't necessary. She figured that Elliot fought back, and they wouldn't be able to handle him at his full capacity. She looked at Elliot and leaned against him gently. She loved him, but she had never told him that. He was not seeing Kathy anymore, so she thought that he was still getting over her and that he wasn't ready for a relationship, especially with someone he works with. She felt like all of this was her fault, if she had better judgment, she would not have ended up with an abusive schizophrenic. Charlie would not have tracked her down, and hurt the only man she truly loved. She knew that Charlie was crazy, but she didn't think that he could kill someone.

Casey heard the familiar pounding of feet coming down the hallway as Charlie, Matthew, and Chris burst into the room. Charlie rushed her, while the other men watched the door to make sure that she didn't make a run for it. Matthew had a dark colored bag with him, and that made Casey nervous. Charlie grabbed Casey by the throat. He pressed her against him and began to squeeze, not hard enough to kill her, just to make it harder to breathe. Chris handed something to Charlie once he released his grip on her. She fell to the ground, gasping for whatever air she could get before the second Matthew came and held her up. They began to wrap her hands in what she recognized to be as tape. They covered her hands and feet, but not her mouth. Charlie wanted to be able to hear her. They pulled a chair from the corner of the room, and sat her down in it ever though she fought back strenuously. The two men stepped back and Charlie approached her.

Charlie trembled as he stood over her. Casey was tied to the chair by an excessive amount of duct tape, so she couldn't move at all. She was so beautiful and he loved her so much. That's why he had to do it. He couldn't let her waste her time with that detective Elliot Stabler. If she wouldn't listen, he had other ways to make her listen. Her green eyes looked up at him in frustration. Charlie knew that she hated him. He sat down on her lap, making her flinch, and he stroked her hair.

"Hello, Casey. So glad to see you. It's been quite some time, hasn't it" he taunted her with his voice right in her ear.

Silence. She wouldn't talk to him, which infuriated the voices in his head. She knew that the voices were telling him to kill her right then, but she could also tell that he was trying not to listen to them, to remain composed and in control. Casey hoped that he could keep them in the back of his mind, at least while he was there. If he listened to them, she could guess the outcome.

Charlie shook off the lack of friendliness towards him. He tried a different approach to get her to react to him in some way, to know that she was still there for him, despite what he had put her through. (None of which he had regretted). He looked her straight in the face. She was crying, and she refused to look back at him, as she tried to fight the restraints. He kissed her forehead like a child, and put his arm around her shoulder. Casey tried not to move, because his weight was starting to hurt her. Nothing was working for Charlie. She had too much pride to cave to his attempts of affection, so he cued Matthew with his hand. Matthew walked over to Casey and pushed a syringe that he took out of the dark bag deep into her neck. She tried to squirm away from him, but she was not stronger than he was, and with Charlie still sitting on her it made movement impossible. Before she had time to scream, the effects of the solution began to kick in, and they laid her unresponsive body on the floor. It was not deadly, but she would be out for a while. Her reddish blonde hair was sprawled out on the floor, as she fell on her right side. They moved the chair back towards the wall. Charlie grabbed a cane that he had had to use for a few months after his back surgery and began to hit her with it.

Casey had never loved him. _Bam! _She would break his heart again and again, and she would never care. _Bam! _She abandoned him for her coworker. _Bam! _Why isn't she screaming his name? _Bam! _That's all he wants, is to hear her pathetic voice call for him! _BAM! _He knew what he had to do. He had to get rid of her. She would take everything he had. She doesn't deserve to live. Charlie threw the cane down in outrage. He started down at Casey. Blood was seeping from the wounds he had created. It made him feel powerful. He grabbed the gun Chris had used to bring in Elliot and pointed it at her body. She was laying on her back now, and her head, abdomen, and legs were bleeding. He loved it. A sly grin spread across his face as he looked down at his work. He felt like he owned her, that what they always told him. Charlie thought about everything; what it was like when they were in law school together, when he proposed to her, when she said yes. The voices told him to stop thinking about only the happy times and face the reality. He thought about the time she called the cops on him, when he got violent and how much authority it gave him. He could hear his voices tell him that no once would ever want to live with Casey, she was too wishy-washy and emotional. They told him that she's not worth the trouble she causes. It wasn't worth living if he could not spend his time with her. He only wanted Casey. But even if he killed himself, it would be just as bad knowing that his filthy ex-fiance of a woman was crawling around with some detective.

He looked at Casey, once more, then at Elliot (who was currently unconscious as he had been off and on for hours now). Elliot's wound had been dressed by Casey's shirt, which angered him. The impact was not as originally planned. Elliot was supposed to be taken care of so he could be alone with Casey, but Charlie figured that he could wait to kill him after he saw what happened to Casey. That would kill him all over again to know that he couldn't save his precious girlfriend. But Elliot was temporarily out of the way, and he and Casey could deal with their unsettled business. He raised the gun, directly aimed at Casey, and pulled the trigger.

**Post Note: Whoo, that was hard to write. I promise my mind is not that twisted, but he IS a psycho, so I had to do it. Anyway, please leave a review whether you love it or hate it. You don't understand how much they make my day! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hey all! I am overjoyed with the feedback that I have received on the story so far! Here is the next chapter, the plot is just beginning to unfold, so hang with me. Keep in mind I have only been to New York twice, so disregard any small inaccuracies about the town Orient.**

**I am SO sorry for the huge delay in posting! My internet has been down for weeks, and I just got it fixed. Sorry :(**

**Disclaimer: Blahity blah, you know the drill I don't own anything except for Zoe Harper, who I made up.**

Zoe Harper sat watching the 6 o'clock new in her small house overlooking the beach. She alone, and the house was completely quiet. Orient was a small, resort town along the Long Island Sound with an equally small residential population. In the summer, tourists would come for the water. But since it was winter, almost no one was around, except those who lived there.

"This is Tracy Birch reporting from New York City with the latest story. Two recently convicted kidnappers escaped from their holding cells at booking. If you have ANY information, you are urged to call the number at the bottom of the screen."

Two pictures flashed on the screen as well as two names: Matthew Glen Whitlock, 35, and Christopher Kyle Radford, 29.

Zoe, who was only 21, was glad she didn't live in a large, crowded city like NYC. She hated the thought of living in a city with so many criminals. She turned off the news report and decided to do something useful with the rest of her off day.

She went into the bedroom and threw on some jogging clothes. She started to stoke her long, straight black hair. She pulled it into a high ponytail and took off for the beach. It was the perfect weather to run in, and she figured she could use the exercise.

She ran by a few little houses and beach cabins, all different colors. After about ten minutes of running, she stopped for a while to catch her breath. There was a little yellow-white beach cabin in front of her and a bigger light blue one farther off. She heard yelling coming from the yellow one. She looked up and heard a loud bang and then she saw three men burst through the front door. They looked at her, and then jumped into a navy colored van, which then sped off. Zoe just stared at the cabin, dumbfounded. She debated whether or not to venture into the cabin, but she knew that somebody could be inside and need her help. She warily advanced and wedged the front door open. She stepped into a barely furnished living room and then a kitchen with a half bath attached. She approached what looked to be the main bedroom and was surprised at the large, iron bar across the door. She eased it up, and opened the door. There was a woman laying on the floor, whose picture had been on the news earlier. She was not moving, and Zoe was scared out of her mind.

"Call 911!" the man shouted, before even letting her open her mouth.

"Okay.." Zoe quickly did as she was commanded. She said some things into the phone like their location, her name, and what she saw. Once she had hung up, the man looked at her again.

"Who are you?" he asked her.

"My name is Zoe.. What happened here?"

"The less you know, the better." He looked down at the woman with the blondish hair. He put two fingers on her neck, checking for a pulse. He cursed to himself, and told Zoe, "Come help me."

He asked Zoe to hold her head level, as he started to apply pressure to Casey's bullet wound on the left side of her abdomen.

"Will she be okay?"

"I don't know, how long until the ambulance gets here?"

"Well, I don't know. We don't have a hospital with ambulances here, but the neighboring town does. Maybe like, five to ten minutes?"

Zoe was so curious about the details of the event, but she did not pry. Zoe could tell he was distressed over the woman, who she later found out was named Casey. A few minutes later the paramedics arrived, and everything became fast paced. Two of them lifted her onto a stretcher, and whisked her away. Elliot rode along while one doctor treated his arm. Elliot knew that it would need to be stitched once they got there. Casey was barely breathing, and for a while, she wasn't. Her pulse was so slow, that it scared the doctors. She had lost a lot of blood, and she had a head wound.

Once they were at the hospital, Casey was rushed into the O.R. A young doctor began to inspect Elliot's arm, and it was re-dressed more comfortably.

"What happened here sir?" the doctor, Dr. Monroe, questioned Elliot.

"I'm not exactly sure." he lied "Do you have a phone I could use? I am a detective of the NYPD, and I need to speak with my captain right away. The woman who was brought in with me is an assistant district attorney who I work with."

"There is a pay phone in the lobby, but if you need a more private area, the waiting room is empty."

"Thanks."

First, Elliot called Jack McCoy of the DA's office. He told him where Casey was, so he could stop using manpower he didn't have to try to find someone who was no longer lost. Jack did not know Casey very well, he had just taken Branch's place. After that, Elliot called Cragen's phone, but Olivia answered instead.

"Captain Cragen's office, this is detective Benson."

"Liv?"

"Oh God, El? Where are you?" She asked hysterically into the phone, drawing the attention of the other detectives. "Some small town near Orient."

"Have you seen Casey, she went missing around the same tim-"

"Yes, Casey's with me. She's been shot, Liv."

"Well, Cragen's in a meeting, but I'll be out there as soon as I can."

* * *

><p>Zoe's POV<p>

This is a bad idea. I don't even know her, there's no way she would want to see me. But, I have to know if she's okay. I walked up to the front desk and asked the secretary, "Um, which room is Casey in? She was brought in yesterday, and I just wanted to see her."

"Are you a family member of Ms. Novak's? She is in ICU and only family are allowed to see her."

"Well, no. I'm a friend. But practically family." she lied.

"What is your name, ma'am?"

"Zoe Harper."

"She is in room 108 down the hall on the left. Because your not family, you've got a half hour."

"Thank you."

I walked down the wide hallway and peered into Casey's room. Elliot was already in there. He looked up at her, moving his gaze off of Casey.

"Hi, I brought her some flowers. I know I sure loved it when I had foot surgery to see them when I woke up." she offered. "They're not much, but I just wanted to make sure she was okay."

"I wanted to thank you. And I'm sure she would appreciate the flowers. She's been touch and go, the doctors say that she will probably regain consciousness once her body gets over the shock."

"Well, can you tell her I came by? Please call me if she wakes up. Thank you." Zoe scurried out of the room, to leave them alone. Elliot thought Zoe was nice, but nervous. He looked down at Casey. The blood had been washed out of her hair, which laid lifeless like the rest of her body. She was being forced to breathe, he didn't know if she could on her own. Her face was so pale, except for the areas that were bruised. Elliot stayed with Casey for hours, until he realized what time it was. He needed to be there when she woke up though, if she ever did. He pulled up a chair and started to doze off.

* * *

><p>Olivia arrived at the hospital where Casey and Elliot were staying the next day. Elliot was already awake. Olivia saw Elliot and ran to hug him.<p>

"Oh, Elliot! I'm so glad you're okay. How is Casey doing?"

His face turned solemn. "She was bound, beaten, and shot. She has a concussion from being struck by a wooden cane and appendicitis from where the bullet pierced her appendix. She lost two pints of blood, and nearly died."

"How did this happen?"

"Charlie, her schizophrenic ex-fiance, and the two men Casey convicted recently brought us to some tiny cabin to get revenge on Casey. A girl named Zoe heard the gunshot and called 911."

"Where's Zoe now?" Olivia did not even ask why Charlie was after Elliot, she already could guess.

"I don't know. She must have left after the ambulance got there."

"Well, I told Munch and fin to let Cragen know what happened, so I assume he'll be calling soon."

"Let them know that Charlie, Whitlock, and Radford are still out there."

* * *

><p>Casey opened her eyes and looked around. She had no idea where she was, it looked like a hospital room. She was confused at where she at and why her body was hurting so badly. This was a hospital she did not recognize, she had been to most of the large ones in Manhattan. She could hear someone talking outside her room door. It was Olivia.<p>

"Doctor Monroe! She is waking up." Olivia told the doctor.

"How are you feeling, Ms. Novak?" he asked her gently.

"Tired. Where am I? What happened?" Casey asked them. "Why can't I remember?"

"Amnesia is common in these types of cases. It will most likely wear off in a few days." Doctor Monroe explained to her.

"Amnesia? What the hell happened?" Casey was starting to panic.

"It's okay, sweetie. You're in the hospital because you were kidnapped." Olivia tried to comfort her.

"Who-who did this? And why?" She was trying to detach from her injuries and kick her mind into prosecutor mode.

"Your ex. Charlie. He hired someone to grab you from your apartment late at night. You have been out for five days."

"Five days? Wha-?"

"You had a concussion from being struck with Charlie's cane. You were dehydrated and he bullet you were shot with pierced you appendix. It was removed. The doctor said if Zoe had not come for you and Elliot, you may not have made it."

"Elliot, was he with me? Is he alright?"

"He is fine. He was shot in the upper arm, but the bullet missed the bone. The only thing injured was his pride."

"Where is he? Can I see him?"

"He's been a real pain in Dr. Monroe's butt the whole time, constantly at your bedside. He wouldn't leave for two whole days. He had to practically be drugged to go to his own room. He's with Munch and Fin. I'm sure he'll be here as soon as he hears you're awake."

"And who is that Zoe person you mentioned? Do I know her?"

"I don't think so. She's from Orient, and has never been to New York City. She came to visit you twice, to make sure you were okay. She left you those flowers. Zoe asked that someone call her when you woke up."

"Huh. Are you sure she's from New York? I don't think I've ever met someone that caring." she said as she sighed and laid back down from her sitting position.

Olivia smiled at Casey. She was glad that her friend was finally awake, but she knew that she was not out of the woods yet. Charlie was still out there and they had no idea where he could have went. He might still want Casey dead, and who knew what he would do next. Olivia needed to get some more information out of Casey, but she knew that she did not remember much.

"Do you remember anything from before you passed out for the last time?"

"I remember Charlie. I was sitting down, and he was sitting on me. The others were just staring at me. It was horrifying. Then I felt nauseous, and I couldn't see anything but white. And then I felt like I was asleep. I started dreaming, but I didn't wake up."

"Well, I'll go tell Elliot that you are awake. Olivia said in her gentlest tone.

A few minutes later, Elliot came into Casey's room. He sat on the edge of her bed, making sure not to sit on her injured legs. Casey tried to sit up and greet him, but her body protested. She ached so badly. She had just now realized that strangely shaped bruised covered her.

"Hi Casey. How are you? Are you in any pain?" Elliot's blue eyes were filled with concern for her.

"Yeah, Elliot I'm so sor-sorry." Her voice was raspy, and she began to cry. She wasn't usually like this, but going through an ordeal like she had been through could change a person. "Charlie did this, he must've been after me. He barely knows you! This is all my fault. I've been out for almost a week. What if he-?"

"Casey." Elliot grabbed her hand. "This was not your fault. We had no way of knowing he would react like this. The important thing is that he will never get near you again."

He began to say something else, but Olivia stuck her head in the doorway.

"Elliot, can I talk to you for a sec?" she asked from the hallway.

"Um, sure. Hold on a minute." He looked at Casey. "I'll be right back."

Elliot let go of her hand and got up from the bed. He walked out into the hallway and closed the door.

"What's going on?" Elliot asked her.

"We've got a situation. I was just informed, Zoe Harper was found murdered in her home."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Hello! The reason for the delay on this story at least has some sort of explanation to it. I finished writing the entire chapter, and was getting reading to post it to the document manager when the software I use to type crashed. _I lost everything. _I did not have the chapter saved elsewhere and all attempts at restoring it failed. I have no idea what happened. So I had to try and remember what I typed and here is the second attempt at this chapter.

P.S. If you use LibreOffice like I do: **save often**.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for Zoe Harper, who I made up.

* * *

><p>The two detectives approached the gruesome crime scene. Olivia and Elliot entered the disturbed home of Zoe. They saw the young woman laying on the floor, her features bruised and bloodied. Everything was torn about, vases broken on the ground, and small chips of wood tossed around. The door was forced open, Elliot thought that Charlie was getting sloppy. Hopefully he would leave them something they could use.<p>

"What was the COD?" Olivia asked, interrupting his dazed thoughts.

"She died from blunt-force trauma to the head and neck. Internal bleeding was inevitable, no one could have survived this sort of attack." Melinda Warner told the detectives.

"What was she hit with?" Olivia asked her.

"I compared the photos and bruises of Ms. Harper's body to the ones that were on Casey, and they were a match. It looks like whatever he used on her was the same thing he used here. Cylindrical, wooden..."

"It was a cane, I saw him with it. That's what he used." Elliot interrupted.

"The time of death was about one o'clock this morning." Melinda added.

"Detectives! In here!" one of the CSU men shouted from the kitchen.

They hurried at the worried sound of his voice and were very surprised at what was waiting for them in the kitchen. On the table was a single bullet, one that been fired recently, and a folded note. Elliot grabbed the paper and began to read to aloud.

All the letter said was,

_For Casey. I send my love._

* * *

><p>Casey had been laying in the hospital bed for a whole day now, and there was still absolutely no news or anything to do. Her nurses periodically came into the room, to take blood and run tests, but they did not seem up for conversation. At this point, after no visitors all day, she was about ready to start talking to the wall. It seemed like a good option, but after she thought about what she was about to do, she contributed her hallucinations to the obscene amount of morphine she was on. That was when she heard it. A gunshot. In the freaking hospital. Casey couldn't move, she was too weak. A forceful rush of adrenaline shot through her body, and she knew that <em>that<em> probably wasn't very good. She sunk down and tried to get under the covers, as if they could shield her from a bullet. People began screaming, and the windows in the front lobby were shattered and glass covered the floor. Doctors were scurrying back and forth trying to see where the shots were being fired from. The alarm system went off, and one of the nurses already had 911 on the phone. Another shot went off, but this time someone was hit. She heard more shrieks of fear, and saw some woman's long hair sprawl on the ground as their body hit the ground in front of her door. The last bullet that she heard flew in from the hallway and entered the wall right above her head. She screamed, and sat up painfully. Her whole body soon regretted the sudden movements, considering she wasn't supposed to be moving at all. She left her bed and got down on the floor, hoping that the shooter had fled, or was captured. She started to feel light-headed after a few slow moving minutes and it was then that she realized she pulled the IV out of her arm. She couldn't do anything except for try to stay awake until she knew help would arrive. Unexpectedly, she fell over and became unconscious.

* * *

><p>Detective Stabler sped over as soon as he heard the news. The shootout in the hospital had ended with one casualty, and he could tag on another murder to Charlie whenever they finally nailed him. He rushed into the room where Casey was, forgetting that he was to talk to the nurses who had witnessed the attack. He saw he laying in her bed, looking worse than yesterday. Then he saw the hole in the wall, with the bullet still in it. He started to assume the worst until he got closer and saw that the bullet had no blood on it, so there was no way it had hit anyone. He looked down at Casey, and a rush of guilt flooded him. He could have gotten here faster and helped her. He was told that she fell out of her bed when the shot went off, ripping her IV out. He took her hand and just held it in his. The once fearless, and indestructible Casey was laying at his fingertips, more fragile then ever. He promised her that Charlie would never touch her again, and he meant to keep that promise. He knelt down and lightly kissed her hand, before setting it down softly and leaving the room.<p>

* * *

><p>"So what have we got? Nothing?" Alex Cabot asked, annoyed at the way the investigation was going.<p>

"Well, we know Charlie, Radford, and Whitlock have the transportation and the means of crossing state lines, and we put out an alert on the car and on the credit cards and passports." Captain Cragen offered, hoping not to make her even angrier. He knew an angry Alex Cabot was not a pretty picture.

"The sooner we find them the better. The feds are trying to get their hands on _my_ case."

"Cragen! Pennsylvania border cops spotted Radford in a dark blue van makin' a run for it." Tutuola said from the phone on his desk.

"Go. Take Munch, and be careful. We know how these guys work under pressure."

**So as I have explained earlier, I am not good at writing in bulk. I apologize for the short lengths of the chapters, but I write best in small sections. This story will continue, so please review! Many thanks to the following for their support of this story:**

**Sister of the Light, Cliffhanger21, pineapplegrl77, dove in love, ilovesvu12, karenina bubo, Carla-Leigh, Ray25, , Huddyfan1634, 7Seven7, gemini2989, and Danielle. I LOVE YOU GUYS. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hello readers. :) If you are reading this, then that must mean you have stayed with me throughout the story, and for that I am grateful. I have some exciting news: I bought my own laptop. What this means for you is more updates, because I do not have to use my sister's computer anymore. I have a separate laptop for school, so this is mostly for writing and such.**

**This chapter has some Felinda in it..**

**Disclaimer: -insert legal blahity blah here-**

Detectives Odafin Tutuola and John Munch flipped on their police siren, and sped as fast as they could to catch up with that van, before it was out of sight. It was about midday now, and everyone was on their lunch breaks, which meant that the sirens didn't' mean much. Some cars tried their best to get over, but many just accelerated or did not pay them any attention. Once they got out of the busier area, it was much easier to go the speed they needed to go. Fin reluctantly let Munch drive, he figured that an old man couldn't possibly be as "evasive" as he could be, but Munch was like an old, grumpy man who just found out they were out of pudding in the nursery home, and he sped like a madman. They drove and drove, the minutes seeming like hours, and those were hours that they didn't have to waste. After three and a half hours, which was a pretty good time, they arrived where the police had seized Radford, Whitlock, and lo and behold, Charlie, who was trying to convince the police that he wasn't speeding. The officer who Charlie had been arguing with signaled for one of the other officers to watch the detainees while he talked with Munch and Fin.

"These your guys?" the main officer, a man of about thirty asked Fin.

"Yeah, did they give you any information on where they may have been going, or where they came from?"

"No, that one over there, Charlie Roberts, he says his name is, keeps trying to tell me that he was not speeding, and that if I did not let him go, that he would sue. I told him he needed to answer a few questions, and after he realized he wasn't going anywhere, he became much more friendly. The other two, unlike Charlie, have been quite uncooperative. Christopher Radford even tried to whack officer Bradley upside the head, but he was too quick."

"Well we'll take these three back to our precinct for questioning. Separately of course." Munch replied to the man.

"Glad we could help you. Keep us posted."

Fin and Munch's backup had arrived, and the police cars took one man each, Fin and Munch decided to take Charlie. They guided his head into the police car, making sure to keep an eye on him. Although they had no doubt in their mind that all three men were guilty, legally, Alex said not to arrest him yet, so he was uncuffed and sitting in the back seat. It was a long drive back to NYC now that they had to drive the speed limit just like everyone else. Fin and Munch were making dull conversation, but avoiding saying anything important, or anything about Casey. Fin had thought Charlie fell asleep, because he had not said anything since they left, when a few minutes after that, he started to ask questions. They were not dangerous questions, ones like, "How long until we arrive?" but he started to wander and ask questions about Casey and how she was doing. The detectives said that she was fine. That's all they said.

"When you are done asking me questions about a crime I did not commit, I am going to see her. Maybe we can work things out." Charlie said, with a sly undertone in his voice.

"Yeah, that will be the last thing you'll be doing." Munch replied sourly.

There was no point in further trying to hide the fact that he wanted for kidnapping and attempted murder. And once they found out who caused the shootout in the hospital, the can pin whoever he paid off to do that on him too. There was no way the he was ever getting out, unless the judge the tries the case is just flat out of their old mind.

After a few hours of driving they finally reached the precinct, where the sun was setting over the city. Although some of the officers would be leaving already, it looks as if everyone is sticking around for a while. The Radford, Whitlock, and Charlie are led into the precinct, but they are not allowed to speak to each other, as if they didn't already have a story picked out for their alibis. All the detectives needed was for one of the three to flip on the other two, perhaps they would spend their entire life in prison as the others would.

Munch and Fin return to the squad room to see the whole crew gathered around, Olivia, Elliot, Cragen, Cabot, and Melinda. Fin's eyes glanced over the crowd, but couldn't help pausing over Melinda. Even in her doctor's garb, she looked hot. He didn't want to draw attention, but when he noticed she was staring at him, he pretended to look at something behind her.

Captain Cragen started instructing Olivia, Munch, and Fin to go and talk to the three, and he was assigned to Mr. Whitlock. Fin entered the small interview room, and Elliot instructed him on what to ask him about, since he wasn't allowed to be a part of the interview process. Fin took a long look at him before asking anything.

"So why did you kidnap them?" He asked bluntly.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"You and your buddies decide to kidnap two officers of the law, not a smart move. You're facing twenty five to live, no parole." Fin said.

"Wasn't my idea. Quit freaking out. I didn't do anything, it was all Charlie, man."

"So it was Charlie's idea? You're still responsible, you didn't have to kidnap them, or try to kill them. He didn't make you do that."

"I didn't try to kill anyone! That chick was hot, I wouldn't kill her, just take her home."

Fin was about to open his mouth to say something, when the door opened. Captain stuck his head in the door and said, "Detective Tutuola, a word?"

He stepped out into the observation room and met Cabot and Cragen.

"Radford just confessed. It's over." Cragen said. It was a relief too, he was glad someone got to tell Casey some good news for the first time in a while, and maybe she could rest peacefully for a while. Fin knew who was going to go tell her the news, it was obvious. Cragen sent everyone home for the day, except Liv, who stayed to help get the paperwork done on the new arrests.

* * *

><p>"I don't think this is a good idea, Ms. Novak. Should I remind you of your injuries?" The doctor told her sternly when she requested to leave.<p>

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm going home, just sign the paper, and sent my medication to the pharmacist."

"I strongly advice against this, you could re-injure yourself, and.."

"Noted. I need to be home. Please, just sign the release form."

The doctor did sign it, although he knew it was the wrong decision. He could tell she was not going to waver, and maybe she could do some healing at home. He told her if any symptoms of infection show up, to come straight back, and she agrees without protest. He calls her a cab, and Casey is thankful not to have to call one of the detectives to give her a ride. Casey knew that they would just get on her about leaving against doctor's orders.

It was a smooth ride home, and once she reaches her apartment, she notices how clean and put together it is. CSU must have dusted the place dry, and Liv and Elliot must have tidied up some. She did not bother to put real clothes on, and she just laid on the couch in her hospital gown, it was comfortable enough.

She heard a light tap on the door, and a voice coming from the hall. She knew it was Elliot, she would recognize his voice anywhere. As she thought, he was standing there, with a strange expression on his face.

"Casey, what are you doing home? I though you didn't get out until next week?" He asked her somewhat gruffly.

"I wanted to sleep in my own room, my own bed. I knew you guys caught them too." she said as she motioned for him to come in.

"Who told you?"

"Liv called me earlier. Sorry you didn't get to be first." She said with a grin.

"How are you doing, Casey?"

She had an answer, but she didn't know if she should say it. She did anyway. "Better now." she said hoping that he would pick up.

She sat down on the couch, and he sat down next to her. He brushed her hair to the side, and out of her face. Casey stared into his deep, blue eyes. They were full of emotion, unlike they usually are. Elliot leaned over, and gently kissed her. She closed her eyes, and sweetly kissed him back. He went slow, as to not hurt her, but she kissed him more and more passionately. He, although surprised, did the same. Soon, they were hungrily kissing each other, and their breathing was heavy as his lips wandered to her ears, her neck, and arms. Casey, even thought she desperately wants to continue, is so tired that she barely can stay awake. Elliot can see this and leans back, letting them both catch their breath. He stands up, and kisses her on the forehead.

"We both have a big day ahead tomorrow, and you should rest." He said to her.

"You don't have to leave, you know."

"Don't worry, I will be back tomorrow to pick you up. Our court time is at ten sharp."

"See you then."

He grinned at her, "It's a date."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Yeah, so you guys probably hate me right now. Sorry I haven't updated in, you know, forever... I didn't forget about this story for the fantabulous people who subscribe to me. I LOVE YOU. I will never discontinue a series without previous notice. Anyways..., I went back and read the last chapter, and am disgusted. I made so many stinkin' errors. :C Arghh, I will be the queen of good grammar in the future. Sorry about that guys. -.-"**

**Kind of a short chapter, but there WILL be more, I guarantee you. I've been working on something new that I am very proud of that will up soon hopefully.**

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything except for the characters I make up myself.**

The courtroom was crowded and uncomfortable. Casey sat in the audience, patiently awaiting the time when her name would be called and she would have to tell her story, yet again. Elliot sat beside her, and so did Olivia. The judge entered the room, and everyone became still in anticipation. The bailiff began to speak, "Docket ending 8301 People v. Charlie Roberts, two counts kidnapping, two counts attempted murder, and one count murder."

"How does your client plead?" Judge Elizabeth Donelly asked.

"Not guilty your honor, by reason of mental disease or defect." the attorney for Charlie answered confidently.

"He knew what he was doing was wrong, your honor, and should be held responsible." Alex Cabot insisted. "Our psychiatrist interviewed him, and thought so."

"Well, I haven't thrown out the case yet, have I, Ms. Cabot?" Donelly replied, somewhat annoyed. "Call your first witness, Ms. Cabot, and we'll get started this morning."

"The people call Elliot Stabler to the stand."

Elliot, who was sitting in the audience, got up and made his way to the witness chair. He was asked, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?" to which his reply was a simple "Yes".

Miss Cabot stood and faced Elliot. She would have to ask him questions that she felt the defense attorney could not disprove when cross-examining.

"Good morning detective. So about the night when all of this started, could you please tell me what you remember from the attack itself?"

"Well, I remember getting home from work, it was a long day and I was relaxing on the couch when I heard a knock at the door. It was late and I didn't want to answer it, so I just ignored the knocks. They kept getting louder and more frequent, so I finally got up. The man at the door rushed into my apartment, and came at me. After that, it's too fuzzy. Sorry." Elliot told her, facing the jury.

"Was the man at the door the defendant?"

"No, it was the man that he paid off to do it, Mr. Radford."

"And what is the next thing you remember?"

"I remember this small room, sparingly furnished. I woke up to see Casey there with me. She was injured much more than I was at the time. I drifted in and out all day, and more frequently for the few days we were there. I remember when Zoe Harper came in and called the ambulance, and the trip to the hospital."

"What happened to Miss Harper, the one who saved your lives?" 

"She was murdered by Charlie. He knew he couldn't get after Casey, so he went after her instead."

"Thank you."

The attorney for Charlie stood up, and cleared his throat. He looked at Elliot in a cold way, as if saying he disagreed with everything he just said.

"Mr. Stabler, you say that the man who attacked you was paid by my client, how do you know that? Do you have any proof stating so?"

"Well, there aren't any documents, no. But Mr. Radford and Whitlock both confessed to having been paid." 

"But you never witnessed Charlie attack Miss Novak or yourself, so how do you know it was him?"

"He was the only one who knew where we were, and it was Charlie's cane that left the bruises." Elliot answered.

"But you can't be sure that it wasn't Mr. Radcliff or Mr. Whitacre who attacked you. They both knew your location. And you can't know if they disclosed that information to anyone else, can you?"

"No, we couldn't know that."

"Nothing further." the attorney said confidently at Alex Cabot.

Alex took in a deep breath, and let it out as a sigh. This lawyer was going to be a pain, he knows how to make the witness look like either an idiot or a liar. She would have to wait to see which one he would pull for Casey. She was one of Alex's friends, and she knew this whole process would be a particularly difficult one. She rose to meet Elliot's eyes, and she knew he was struggling to remain patient for everyone's sake.

"Would you tell us about Miss Zoe Harper?"

"Miss Harper heard gunfire, and rushed in to help us. She saw Charlie and his men dart out the door as she approached. She called an ambulance, and we were taken to a hospital."

"And what happened to Miss Harper after that?"

"She came back to the hospital to see how Casey was doing, but she was still out. We talked some."

"About what?"

"She told me about herself, and about that day. She reported the incident to the police, and gave them Charlie's face as a confirmation of what she had seen."

"And after that?"

"Zoe was murdered, by Charlie. We found his fingerprints at the scene and on the murder weapon. It was the same one he had used on Casey." he paused and sighed. He had a sad expression. "It was his cane, the bruises were an exact match. We also found a note at the scene, and we matched it to his handwriting."

"Thank you, no further questions."

"The defense rests, your honor. We are through with this witness." The defense attorney said from the other side of the room.

The judge was shocked by this, but the evidence was rock solid. There was no disproving what he had said, Charlie killed Zoe Harper.

"You may step down detective. Call your next witness, Miss Cabot."

"The people call Casey Novak."

Casey swallowed nervously. She tried to force herself not to look at the man sitting at the defense table. She couldn't look at Charlie or she would break down. She hated him, but part of her felt sorry for him, she has always has a compassion for the mentally unstable. She felt guilty for leaving him, and the guilt she had learned to forget was about to resurface. Except, now it would be in front of everyone.

Casey knew that Alex pushed to have the trial date moved up so that she could show the jury her injuries. It was a smart tactic, one that Casey used often. It was different though, because now it was a pain for her. Casey rose from her seat, cringing from the effort. She made short, controlled strides, hoping to make it to the stand as easily as possible.

She swore to tell the truth, and took her place as the witness.

Taking long strides to the witness chair, Casey avoided looking at the jury. She was stunned to realize that she would be forced to tell her story again to a group of strangers.

"Good day, Ms. Novak." Alex Cabot said. "How do you know your attackers?"

"Charlie was my fiance, and the other two men were hired specifically for the job."

"What do you remember from the night in question?"

"I got home from work when they attacked me. I'm sorry, I don't remember much from that time to the time I woke up in the cabin. I know they shot Eliot.." Casey's voice cracked as she recalled the incident.

"Objection, your honor. Ms. Novak suffered a concussion from the event. It states in her medical record that her memory was effected by the damage so anything she says could be incorrect. I have a medical professional who will testify such fact." the defense attorney interjected.

"But, Judge Donelly," Alex said.

"He has a point, counselor. I'm sorry, I don't like it anymore than you do but her memory loss makes her account of that specific night unreliable. She can be questioned about after the incident, however."

"Nothing further, then."

The defense attorney rose with a smug grin on his face. His first question shocked Casey, and her eyes went wide.

"Ms. Novak, did your ex-finance Charlie rape you when you were abducted?"

Everyone in the courtroom was silent. Several people sucked in their breath audibly, including detectives Benson and Stabler. Casey just sat on her pedestal, the crowd awaiting her response. Casey looked at Eliot, who looked back confused. She had never mentioned anything that would suggest it.

"I-" She stopped after the first word, not knowing what to say. _This can't be happening. Oh, God. I can't do this right now, _Casey thought.


End file.
